Mark of Baen

Twilight stared at the stone Spike, gently tapping his forehead as Celestia sat in the room sipping a tea cup.

“Patience Twilight,” Celestia said softly, “The spell will heal him in due time.”

Twilight sighed, “I know princess, I’m just….I guess antsy is the word.”

Celestia raised an eyebrow as she gently set the cup and plate down, “What’s troubling you?”

Twilight sat across from her fellow princess, “Honestly?  I’ve just had this weird feeling, I can’t properly explain it, but I feel like something terrible has or is happening right now.”

Celestia gave a warm smile to the young princess, “It’s probably your intuition, think nothing of it.”

Twilight nodded and looked out the window to her left, “Though I am wondering something.”

“Oh?”

Twilight twiddled her front hooves, “It’s been a few days since the Nemean Lion attacked Ponyville and not only has Baen been surprisingly quiet for once.  But I’m curious how the studies on the Lion are coming.”

At the mention of the barbarian, Celestia looked away and bit her lip for a moment before answering in a semi calm voice, “Well…he’s probably found a decent outlet for his tendencies.”

Twilight nodded, “Yeah, you’re right.”

Celestia perked up with a serene expression, “As for the Lion, we’ve discovered a few things about it.  For one, it possesses magic signatures that could be properly described as what we hypothesis as the earliest evolution of Old Magic into present Equestrian Magic.”

Twilight’s eyes were a glow with this revelation, “That’s…Amazing!  If the Lion’s origins are properly explored, this could write a whole new chapter on magic and Equestria itself!”

Celestia tittered lightly at her fellow princess’s old habits shining through, “The researchers have affectionately named the Lion, Goldie.  It’s surprisingly docile now that it’s in captivity, though it does bite at anypony that gets too close.”

Twilight clapped her hooves excitedly as she looked into space, “Heh.”

Celestia titled her head, “Something funny?”

Twilight shook her head, “I’m just imagining what Baen would say about this, knowing him he’d probably say something like…”

*

“GET THIS DAMN THING OFF OF ME!”

Everything had happened so fast.  One moment he had pinned the two mares to the ground and engaged his Wrath Aura to take the brunt of the explosion, the next, he saw white and everything was shaking.  Everything just came in hot and cold flashes after that.  Screams, crashing, pain….more pain.  Eventually he came to and glanced around him, and gawked.  Around him strewn about was the burning and charred wreck that had once been an Equestrian train.  The way the wreckage was strewn was similar to a foal smashing a model train against the ground and then setting it on fire.  Cars were impaled in the snow or laying on their sides on fire or destroyed beyond recognition.  Steel beams and tires littered the area, and currently, Baen was pinned under a mass of steel and wood, his limbs screaming as he tried to lift the wreck off of him.

He slumped in defeat.

Thinking for a moment he yelled out in a neutral voice, “Anypony dead!?”

“No, but pretty sore!”

Baen’s eyes flicked around, “Vinyl?  Is Cheerilee with you!?”

Cheerilee’s voice sounded mildly strained but answered, “I’m here…”

“Dude, where are you?”

Baen smashed his hind hoof on the metal continuously, “FOLLOW THE NOISE!”

After good while of kicking, he heard the sound of hooves near him, “Whoa, are you sure you’re alive under there?  Or are we having a hallucination?”

“I’m alive,” Baen grumbled as the wreck shifted slightly, “though…that could change if fast action is not done.”

Vinyl inhaled slightly, “Alright.  Hold on B, I got this.”

Cheerilee then added, “Be careful when you sift through it, if you’re not, you could crush him.”

“Roger that,” Vinyl answered.

Baen then felt the warmth proximity of a magical aura as the pile groaned as it was moved.  The surface of the debris was tossed aside before the rest joined it.  Soon, Baen lay on his back staring at the sky without the threat of being turned into a pancake.

Baen shakily stood as he looked around, the railroad was far behind them.

“Looks like the wreck went pretty far,” Baen shook his head in irritation, “Okay, any casualties?

Vinyl shook her head as she looked at her now busted glasses, “None, but if you want to talk accessories, one.”

Cheerilee looked around and shivered, “that, Star, pony.  What did it do with the staff?”

Baen looked at Cheerilee, “Most likely teleported them to its master,” he then took note of the two mares for the first time.

They had cuts and bruises on them, and they were visibly shivering.  There was no civilization in sight, they couldn't go back toward the train tracks because they had no idea which direction they were in.  Baen steeled himself as he looked at the two mares, who were becoming more afraid by the second as the situation dawned on them.  Baen looked at them in turn, and then started walking in the direction he remembered the train going.

Vinyl ran after him, “Wait!  Where are you going?!”

“The Crystal Empire,” He stated matter of factly, “The train was going in this exact direction before it crashed.”

Cheerilee looked at him in desperation, “How do you even know it’s the right direction?  We could’ve been turned around!”

“If we stand or sit we’ll freeze,” Baen looked at them with a stern yet caring expression, “I’d rather try than sit down and die.”

Vinyl looked around and sighed, “Lead the way.”

The three ponies then entered the harsh and steadily darkening tundra.

*

Vida was laughing like a school filly as she watched the scene unfold in her ball, “Oh Baen, as resilient as ever,” she leaned back in her throne and glanced at The Star as it bowed low, “You’ve done well my familiar, carry on.”

The Star nodded slowly before rising and seating itself beside a pillar and going motionless.  Vida cast a glance to Mulberry and smiled to herself.

“Oh my dear Mulberry,” she purred, “I have a few questions I wish to ask of you.”

Mulberry was at her side without hesitation, “Yes my lady?”

Vida laid herself lengthwise across her throne and stared up at the stallion, “Tell me about the Northern Tundra and any of its dangers.”

Mulberry wracked his brain, “Well aside from the blizzards and piercing winds, the biggest threat out there are Polar Bears, and Snow Leopards.”

Vida became intrigued, “Go on.”

*

As event unfolded, Shining Armor sat in his personal room, and was currently asleep on the love seat he had in there.  A comic book covered his face as he snored lightly.  One might say this behaviour was unbecoming of a Prince, and in some cases, they would be right.  But here’s why they wouldn’t, this area in question was what Shining affectionately called his Fortress of Broitude and he deserved every moment of the nap he was having.  For close to several months he had been dealing with researchers, scientists, and the odd nutball due to the Crystal Mirror research.  The researchers and their associates were taking a hiatus before the final study preparations were to be undertaken.  So today there was no paper work, the wife was out, and he had the castle to himself.  So he was going to veg on the couch with his favorite comics and nap.  Though one thing cut him from his slice of heaven, and it came in the form of a series of rapid knocks.

Shining snorted and rolled off his couch with a yelp, “Wha?  Huh?”

“Your highness, were you sleeping?”

The muffled voice of his guard shook the blurry fog from his head, “No no, I’ve been awake *yawn* for hours, why?”

The door opened to reveal his personal pony guard, Flash Sentry, “Well….,” he took note of the room’s current condition, “Heh, have a good afternoon sir?”

Shining chuckled sleepily as he started to wake up more, “You bet, so what’s the emergency?”

Flash became all business once more, “You’ll have to come downstairs to the medical wing, I’ll explain on the way.”

Shining nodded and started following the guard as he started his explanation, “Earlier this afternoon a couple of the local scouts discovered a train wreck several miles from the Empire’s borders.”

Shining became focused, “Was anypony injured?  Or killed?”

Flash shook his head, “No bodies were discovered…but we did find something else.”

Shining raised an eyebrow as Flash opened the medical wing doors.  Shining stared on.

Vinyl Scratch and Cheerilee from Ponyville were laying in the medical beds sipping warm soup and shivering lightly under the provided blankets.

“What happened,” he asked with a mix of concern and curiosity.

Flash inhaled, “Well to be frank, the scouts flew a ways from the wreckage and discovered the three in the snow.  One of them was still conscious and was…carrying the other two on his back.”

Shining glanced at Flash, “Three?”

Flash nodded as he led him passed the med beds, “He’s up and about, plus, he’s the one who asked for you.”

As they approached a window overlooking the nightly covered city of The Crystal Empire, Shining took note of two things.  One, Baen was currently sitting on a cushion eating the soup provided to him.  Two, he was currently flirting with a Crystal Pony nurse name Glass Bell.

Baen smiled at Shining’s approach, “Ah my friend, good to see you!”

Shining looked at Glass Bell who blushed and shied away from the barbarian, “So, you almost freeze to death and I find you flirting with one of our nurses,” he shakes his head, “You remember that you’re spoken for right?”

“Of course,” Baen gestured to the departing nurse, “she was actually flirting with me when you approached.”

Shining clicked his tongue, “Right.”

Baen raised his hoof, “Scouts honor.”

“Do you even know what that means?”

Baen paused, “I saw Applejack’s sister use it once.”

Both stallions shared a laugh before Shining addressed the matter at hoof, “So what brings you back to my neck of the woods?  I mean besides the train crash.”

Baen sighed and placed the bowl down, he cast a gaze at Vinyl and Cheerilee as all eyes focused on him.  He shook his head at the fact that his secret quest was effectively now rendered…not secret due to The Star’s attack.  He was in a corner and he couldn’t get out of it without saying the truth.

“Listen well,” he looked to the two mares, “all of you.”

*

After Baen finished his explanation, Shining blinked in surprise and shock, “So this mare…Vida, she wants to take over Equestria by retrieving these swords?”

Baen nodded, “Exactly, and I’m supposed to collect them before she can accomplish this goal,” he stamped his hoof down onto the floor, “and slay her once and for all.”

Shining tapped his chin, “Hm.  Well I don’t know what to tell you, honestly, I’ve never seen anything with Starswirl’s name on it in the castle at any point.”

“I think I can help you there.”

Everypony turned their heads and stared at a greatly intrigued Princess Cadance.

“Follow me.”

After finishing their warm meals, the ponies followed the Princess of Love into the throne room.  She gazed at her throne and shot a jolt of pure magic into the crystal center piece.  It shed a warming light throughout the room.  When the light faded, the throne was gone and in its place was a lone solid crystal door.

Cadance smiled, “Through there is what you’re looking for.”

Baen blinked, “Um….it’s just a door.”

Cadance shook her head, “Baen, it only LOOKS like a door,” she trotted to it and opened it, “But when it’s opened.”

Baen and the collective group gasped.  Within the door was a room the size of a large study, though there was no light to speak of within it.

Baen and company approached the door and stared on in awe, “A separate space.  Impressive.”

Cadance gestured, “Actually this is a room in the castle…as to where, I’m not sure.”

Baen nodded and ventured inside.  The room immediately lit up.  Baen looked around as the smell of old ink and paper entered his nostrils.  Parchment, used and not littered the room.  Odd contraptions, objects, and even burnt out candles were present in the organized chaos of the study.  Baen glanced around and sighed in irritation, it was going to take forever to sift through this mess to find what he was looking for.

Shining ran a hoof along a massive stack of notes, “Amazing.  Twiley would have a field day in here.”

Baen nodded as he started to search.

Flash looked at a couple of books, “What exactly are you looking for Baen?”

“A book or something containing the location of the swords,” he looked at a sketch of three ponies that had gems in their necks and a bio entry beside the picture, “or anything pertaining to, Arthur, Mordred, Gawain, King Ban, or Lancelot.”

Vinyl piped up, “Did you say Lancelot?”

“Yeah,” he turned from a weird looking chalice made out of gold that seemed to exude a powerful magic, “why?”

Vinyl levitated a small pocket sized book to Baen, “The rest of the pages ink is faded, but this page mentions Lancelot and something about a sword, I skimmed it.”

Baen thanked her and laid the book down and started to scan the page.

*

“Today I have received a letter from my dear friend Lancelot, but he fears it will be his last.  He has confided in me his location and an odd phrase, ‘The knight disturbs the water,’ I’m not sure what he means.  But he went on to say that should I ever wish to seek out Arondight, that I depart for the monarchy of the griffons and consult with their ruler.  I end this entry with the hopes that my friend might find peace.”

*

Baen nodded as he turned from the study, “I know where I have to go.”

The group followed after him as Vinyl piped up, “Cool, where are we going?”

Baen glanced back at his friends, “You two are going back to Ponyville, and this is my mission, not yours.”

Cheerilee raised a hoof, “When that creature attacked us, it became our mission as well, we’re involved now whether you like it or not.”

Vinyl nodded with a smug smile.

Shining stepped forward, “And I’m coming to.”

“No you’re not!”

Shining tilted his head, “As a Prince of…”

Baen cut him off with a hoof and a smirk, “That whole escort thing won’t fly.  During my vacation I read up on royal escorts, it’s only an escort if two or more ponies are guiding the VIP in question.  Anything less is just babysitting.”

Shining nodded with pursed lips, “Flash, are you busy?”

Flash blinked, “Sir?”

Shining smirked right back at the barbarian, “Private Sentry, you’re coming on an adventure with me to fight evil and retrieve swords.”

Flash blinked and spoke in shock, “W..What?!”

Baen growled as Cadance placed a calming hoof on his withers, “Calm down.  If anything, you could use the back-up, right?”

“I…suppose…,” he sighed in defeat, “How can we get to the griffon kingdom from here?”

Cadance smiled with exuberance, “Funny you should ask that.  As it happens,” Cadance rubbed her horse shoe on her chest, “the King of the Griffons and the Empire have been negotiating air ship travel from here to their kingdom for months now, we just signed the papers to allow their ships in our airspace.  If you want, I could request a personal ship to arrive in the morning.  You’ll be the first ponies to leave from here to go to his Kingdom via air.”

Baen blinked, “That would be fantastic.

Cadance smiled, “Excellent, now, who’s up for some pre quest dinner?”

Everypony raised their hooves.